Patent GB-1311938-A (GB)
Title: Gas turbine engines
IPC: F02C7/105
Filed: 1970-04-14
Abstract: 1311938 Thermal regenerators BENNES MARREL 14 April 1970 [22 May 1969] 17579/70 Heading F4K [Also in Division F1] The invention relates to a gas turbine engine of the type comprising a rotary regenerative heat exchanger, the heat exchanger comprising a disc of heat transfer material, the disc being driven by means of a toothed ring gear disposed around the disc and connected thereto by means permitting relative expansion therebetween, the toothed ring gear being engaged by a drive pinion. The engine shown comprises a centrifugal compressor 1, combustion equipment, not shown, an HP turbine 2 driving the compressor through shaft 3, and an LP turbine 4 supplying useful power. The engine comprises also two rotary regenerative heat exchangers 10 disposed one at each side of the engine and rotatably mounted on a fixed shaft 13, the axes of rotation of the rotary discs 10 being normal to the engine axis 14. Air passes from the compressor 1 through each disc 10 as indicated by arrows 11 and exhaust gases from the turbine 4 flow through the disc 10 as indicated by arrows 12 to the exhaust gas outlets 22. Each heat exchanger disc comprises heat transfer material 19 and an outer ring gear 25 formed with gear teeth 26 which is engaged by drive pinion 27 which is driven from the gear casing 7. The centre disc 19 is connected to ring gear 25 by means of a series of pins 37 each formed with a concave recess 38 and each received in a recess formed in the centre disc 19. A wedge-shaped member 39 having a convex surface engages with the concave surface of the pin 37 and a wedge member 43, 45 is disposed at each side of the wedge member 39 being retained by springs 46, 47 which abut against abutments 48, 49 formed internally of the ring gear 25. The heat exchanger disc assembly is guided by means of pairs of rollers 50, two pairs of rollers being carried by members 52 each of which is pivotally mounted on the engine casing at 53. The disc assembly is further supported by rollers (55) disposed at each side of the drive pinion 27 and by a further pair of rollers 56, all the rollers 50, (55), 56 engaging the face of the ring gear 25 laterally of the gear teeth 26. Seal means are provided to prevent leakage between the pressure air passage 18 and the exhaust gas passage 21. In one form, Fig. 11, a series of shoes 59 are disposed in contact with the disc 19 around the passage 18, the shoes being held in contact with the disc 19 by means of springs 61 which abut against the engine casing. A series of similar shoes 60 is disposed around the exhaust gas passage 21. In a further embodiment the seal means is provided by abutment members (74), (75) which are interconnected by a bellows member (62), (Fig. 16, 17, not shown). The seal member around the exhaust gas passage is a simple curved member (63), (Fig. 15, not shown). The drive gear for the two heat exchanger discs is shown in Fig. 9 and comprises a drive shaft which drives a worm 33 through shaft 34 and universal joints 35; the worm engages gear 32 which drives gear pinions 27 through shafts 30 and universal joints 31, the pinions 27 engaging the ring gears 26.